cb.coldheart canyon-第23部分

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n）；　photographs　and　biographies　to　be　distributed　to　new　members；　copies　of　press　kits　from　every　film　Todd　had　ever　made；　in　twenty…six　languages。　Downstairs；　in　what　would　have　been　the　family　room；　she　kept　the　Collection。　This　was　made　up　of　items　related　to　Todd　and　his　career；　all　of　them　relatively　rare；　some　one…of…a…kind　items。　Hanging　in　zipped…up　plastic　laundry　bags　were　articles　of　clothing　made　for　the　cast　and　crew　of　his　pictures。　On　the　mantelpiece；　still　sealed　in　their　boxes　were　six　Todd　Pickett　dolls　that　had　been　the　hot　thing　to　own　during　his　teen…idol　period；　the　boxes　signed　by　Todd。　Preserved　in　a　vacuum　pack　were　several　unused　latex　makeup　pieces　for　his　Oscar…nominated　performance　as　the　maimed　firefighter　in　The　Burning　Year。　She　didn't　ever　look　at　those。　She'd　been　warned　that　they　deteriorated　when　they　were　exposed　to　sunlight。
　 The　collection　also　contained　a　prehensive　library　of　scripts　for　his　movies；　with　all　their　addenda；　including　one　marked　up　in　Todd's　handwriting；　along　with　a　plete　set　of　novelizations　of　the　movies；　leather…bound　with　gilt　lettering。　There　were　also　credit…listings　on　all　the　crews　who　worked　with　him；　costume　sketches　and　call…sheets；　and　of　course；　posters　of　every　size　and　nationality。　If　the　Smithsonian　ever　wanted　to　open　a　wing　dedicated　to　the　life　and　career　of　Todd　Pickett；　Tammy　had　once　boasted；　they　need　look　no　further　than　her　front　room。　Once；　she'd　attempted　to　enumerate　the　items　she　owned。　It　was　something　in　the　region　of　seventeen　thousand　three　hundred；　not　including　those　pieces　of　which　she　had　more　than　one　copy。
　 It　was　to　this　shrine　that　Tammy　had　e　after　her　frustrating　exchange　with　Maxine　Frizelle。　She　closed　and　locked　the　door　（though　Arnie　would　not　be　back　from　work　and　his　after…hours　carousing　for　several　hours）；　and　sat　down　to　think。　After　a　few　minutes；　turning　over　the　conversation　she'd　just　had；　she　went　to　the　very　back　of　the　room；　and　took　from　its　place　amongst　the　treasure…trove　a　box　of　photographs。　These　were　her　special　pride　and　joy：　pictures　of　Todd　（fourteen　of　them　in　all）　which　she'd　managed　to　buy　from　somebody　who'd　known　the　still　photographer　on　Todd's　fourth　picture；　Life　Lessons。　This　was　Todd's　ing…of…age　picture：　the　one　in　which　he'd　changed　from　being　a　Boy　to　being　a　Man。　Of　course；　his　smile　would　always　be　a　boy's　smile；　that　was　part　of　its　magic；　but　after　Life　Lessons　he　went　on　to　play　tougher　roles：　a　homeing　soldier；　a　firelighter；　a　man　wrongfully　accused　of　his　own　wife's　murder。　Here　then；　caught　in　the　moment　before　his　cinematic　adulthood；　was　the　boy…man　of　Tammy's　dreams。　She　had　even　purchased　the　negatives　from　which　the　series　of　pictures　had　been　printed；　and　along　with　them　the　assurance　from　the　person　she'd　got　them　from　that　they　had　been　'lost'　in　the　production　offices　before　they　were　ever　seen　by　the　director；　the　producer　or　by　Todd　himself。　In　short；　she　had　the　only　copies。
　 Their　rarity　wasn't　the　reason　she　valued　them　so　highly　however。　What　made　them　her　special　treasure…the　quality　that　made　her　return　to　them　over　and　over；　when　Arnie　was　out　at　work；　and　she　knew　she　had　time　for　reverie…was　the　fact　that　the　photographer　had　caught　his　subject　unawares。　Well；　shirtless　and　unawares。　Todd　was　sleek　and　pale；　his　body　not　heavy　at　all；　not　all　muscle　and　veins　popping　out；　just　a　nice；　ordinary　body；　the　body　of　the　boy　next　door　if　the　boy　next　door　happened　to　be　perfect。　She　had　never　seen　a　body　she　thought　so　beautiful。　Then　there　was　his　face。　Oh　that　face！　She'd　seen　literally　thousands　of　photographs　of　Todd　in　the　last　eleven　years…and　to　her　adoring　eyes　he　was　handsome　in　every　single　one　of　them…but　in　these　particular　pictures　he　was　something　more　than　handsome。　There　was　a　certain　lost　look　in　his　eyes；　that　allowed　her　to　indulge　the　belief　that　if　she'd　been　there　at　that　moment…if　he'd　seen　her　and　looked　at　her　with　the　same　forsaken　feeling　in　his　heart　as　was　in　his　eyes…everything　in　her　life　would　have　been　different；　and　maybe；　just　maybe；　everything　in　his。
　 When　she　was　thinking　clearly；　she　knew　all　this　was　romantic　nonsense。　She　was　a　plain　woman；　and；　even　though　she'd　shed　thirty…two　pounds　in　the　last　two　years；　was　still　thirty　overweight。　How　could　she　hope　to　pare　with　the　glossy　beauties　Todd　had　romanced；　both　on　screen　and　off？　Still　she　allowed　herself　the　indulgence；　once　in　a　while。　It　made　life　in　Sacramento　a　little　more　bearable　to　know　that　her　secret　glimpses　of　Todd　were　always　there；　hidden　away；　waiting　for　her。　And　best　of　all；　nobody　else　had　them。　They　were　hers　and　hers　alone。
　 There　was　one　other　wonderful　thing　about　the　fourteen　pictures：　they　had　been　snapped　in　such　quick　succession　that　if　she　leafed　through　them　fast　enough　she　could　almost　create　the　illusion　of　movement。　She　did　that　now；　while　she　thought　about　the　way　Maxine　had　talked　to　her　on　the　phone。　That　nonsense　about　Todd　going　away　to　write　his　life　story；　or　whatever　she'd　said　it　was　going　to　be；　it　didn't　ring　true。　It　simply　wasn't　like　Todd　to　be　so　inaccessible。　Every　vacation　he'd　taken…in　India；　in　New　Guinea；　in　the　Amazon；　for　God's　sake…he'd　been　spotted。　Somebody　had　had　a　camera；　and　he'd　posed；　smiled；　waved；　goofed　around。　It　just　wasn't　like　him　to　disappear　like　this。
　 But　what　could　she　do　about　it？　She　wasn't　going　to　get　any　answers　out　of　anybody　close　to　Todd：　they'd　all　trot　out　the　same　story。　She'd　already　exhausted　her　contacts　at　the　studios；　all　of　whom　claimed　not　to　have　seen　Todd　in　a　while。　Even　over　at　Paramount；　where　he　was　supposedly　making　his　next　picture；　nobody　had　seen　him　in　many　months。　Nor；　according　to　her　most　reliable　source　over　there；　the　secretary　to　Sherry　Lansing's　assistant；　were　there　any　meetings　on　the　books；　either　with　Todd　or　any　of　his　production　team。　It　was　all　very　strange；　and　it　made　Tammy　afraid　for　her　man。　Suppose　they　were　covering　something　up？　Suppose　there'd　been　an　accident；　or　an　assault；　and　Todd　had　been　hurt？　Suppose　he　was　in　a　hospital　bed　somewhere　on　life…support；　his　life　slipping　away；　while　all　the　sons　of　bitches　who'd　made　fortunes　off　his　talent　were　lying　to　themselves　and　anyone　who'd　listen；　pretending　it　was　going　to　be　okay？　Things　like　that　happened　all　the　time；　especially　in　Hollywood。　Everyone　lied　there；　it　was　a　way　of　life。
　 Her　thoughts　circled　on　these　terrible　images　for　an　hour　or　more；　while　she　sat　amongst　her　treasures。　At　last；　she　came　to　a　momentous　decision。　She　could　do　nothing　to　solve　this　mystery　sitting　here　in　Sacramento。　She　needed　to　go　out　to　California；　and　confront　some　of　these　people。　It　was　easy　to　tell　somebody　a　lie　on　the　telephone。　It　was　harder　to　do　when　you　were　face　to　face　with　someone；　when　you　were　looking　into　their　eyes。
　 She　took　one　last　look　through　the　sequence　of　photographs；　lingering　on　the　last　of　the　fourteen；　the　one　in　which　Todd's　gaze　was　closest　to　making　contact　with　the　camera。　Another　shot；　and　he　would　have　been　looking　directly　at　her。　Their　eyes；　as　it　were；　would　have　met。　She　smiled　at　him；　kissed　his　picture；　then　put　the　photographs　away；　tucked　the　box　out　of　sight　and　went　through　to　the　kitchen　to　call　Arnie　at　the　airport；　and　tell　him　what　she　planned　to　do。　He　was　in　the　middle　of　his　shift；　and　couldn't　e　to　the　phone。　She　left　a　message　for　him　to　call　her；　then　she　made　a　reservation　on　Southwest　for　the　flight　to　Los　Angeles；　and　booked　a　room　in　a　little　hotel　on　Wilshire　Boulevard；　which　she'd　stayed　in　once　before　when　she'd　e　into　LA　for　a　Todd　Pickett　convention。
　 The　flight　was　scheduled　at　3：10　that　afternoon；　and　was　to　get　into　Los　Angeles　at　4：15；　but　the　departure　was　delayed　for　almost　two　hours；　and　then　they　circled　over　LAX　for　almost　three　quarters　of　an　hour　before　they　could　land；　so　it　wasn't　until　half…past　seven　that　she　stepped　out　of　the　airport　into　the　warm；　sweet…smog　air　of　her　beloved's　city。
　 She　didn't　know　what　she　was　going　to　do；　now　she　was　here；　how　or　where　she　was　going　to　begin。　But　at　least　she　wasn't　sitting　at　home　brooding。　She　was　closer　to　him；　here；　whatever　Maxine　Frizelle　had　said　about　him　being　off　in　some　faraway　place。　That　was　a　lie；　Tammy　knew　it　in　her　bones。　He　was　here。　And　if　he　was　any　in　any　trouble；　then　by　God　she　would　do　her　best　to　help　him；　because　whatever　anybody　might　say　she　knew　one　thing　for　certain：　there　wasn't　a　soul　on　earth　who　cared　for　the　well…being　of　Todd　Pickett　more　than　she。　And　somewhere；　tucked　away　in　a　shameful　corner　of　her　head　she　almost　hoped　that　there　was　some　conspiracy　here；　because　that　would　give　her　a　chance　to　e　to　his　rescue；　to　save　him　from　people　like　Frizelle；　and　make　him　understand　who　really　cared　about　him。　Oh；　wouldn't　that　be　something！　She　didn't　dare　think　about　it　too　much；　it　made　her　sick　with　guilt　and　anticipation。　She　shouldn't　be　wishing　anything　but　the　best　for　her　Todd。　And　yet　the　same　thought　kept　creeping　back：　that　somewhere　in　this　city　he　was　waiting　for　her…even　if　he　didn't　know　it　yet；　waiting　to　be　saved　and　forted。　Yes；　she　dared　think　it：　perhaps　even　loved。
　
　
　EIGHT
　 Todd　and　Marco　had　settled　into　life　at　the　Hideaway　in　the　Canyon　quite　easily。　Todd　occupied　the　enormous　master　bedroom　which　had　（as　Maxine　had　boasted）　an　extraordinary　view　down　the　canyon。　On　clear　days；　of　which　there　were　many　in　that　early　March；　Todd　could　sit　at　his　window　and　watch　the　ocean；　glittering　beyond　the　towers　of　Century　City。　On　exceptional　days；　he　could　even　make　out　the　misty　shape　of　Catalina　Island。
　 Marco　had　taken　a　much　smaller　bedroom　on　the　floor　below；　with　an　adjacent　silting　room；　and　did　much　as　he　had　in　the　Bel　Air　home：　that　is；　served　with　uncanny　prescience　the　needs　of　his　boss；　and　having　provided　such　services　as　were　required；　then　retreated　into　near…invisibility。
　 The　area　was　much　quieter　than　Bel　Air。　There　seemed　to　be　no　through　traffic　on　the　single　road　that　wound　up　through　the　Canyon；　so　apart　from　the　occasional　sound　of　a　police　helicopter　passing　over；　or　a　siren　drifting　up　from　Sunset；　Todd　heard　nothing　from　the　city　that　lay　such　a　short　distance　below。　What　he　did　hear；　at　night；　were　coyotes；　who　seemed　to　haunt　the　slopes　of　the　canyon　in　significant　numbers。　On　some　nights；　standing　on　one　of　the　many　balconies　of　his　new　mansion　nursing　a　drink　and　a　cigarette；　he　would　hear　a　lone　animal　begin　its　urgent　yapping　on　the　opposite　slope　of　the　canyon；　only　to　hear　its　call　answered　from　another　spot；　then　another；　the　din　rising　into　a　whooping　chorus　from　the　darkness　all　around　him；　so　that　it　seemed　the　entire　canyon　was　alive　with　them。　They'd　had　coyotes　up　in　Bel　Air　too；　of　course。　Their　proximity　to　the　house　would　always　send　Dempsey　into　a　frenzy　of　deep…chest　barking；　as　though　to　announce　that　the　dog　of　the　house　was　much　larger　than　he　was；　in　reality。
　 〃I'm　surprised　we've　got　so　many　coyotes　up　here；〃　Marco　said；　after　one　particularly　noisy　night。　〃You'd　think　they'd　go　somewhere　with　a　lot　more　garbage。　I　mean；　they're　scavengers；　right？〃
　 〃Maybe　they　like　it　here；〃　Todd　observed。
　 〃Yeah；　I　guess。〃
　 〃There's　no　people　to　fuck　with　them。〃
　 〃Except　us。〃